Tom Watson: Corbyn doesn’t speak to me about his plans for Labour

The Deputy Leader said Jeremy Corbyn would lead Labour into the next election on a manifesto of his own, and that he didn’t even know who was on his Strategy Committee

Tom Watson said Corbyn would lead Labour in to the next election and that 'it doesn't matter' if that is 'a good or a bad thing' (Getty)

The Labour Party’s deputy leader Tom Watson has said Jeremy Corbyn is the ‘established leader’ of the party, and that he doesn't know who is on the leader's ‘strategy commitee.’

In an interview with Tony Blair's former communications chief Alastair Campbell for GQ magazine, Mr Watson said the second leadership election meant that Corbyn was now ‘the established leader.’

Asked how often the two men discuss the party’s plan for the next election, Mr Watson replied: “I am not on his strategy committee.”

When asked who was on the committee, Mr Watson said, “I don't know”.

“That is how he is going to lead,” Mr Watson added. “I am in the NEC and in the shadow cabinet but nobody should be in any doubt it will be his manifesto.

“He will lead in developing those policies and I will support him.”

The Deputy Leader, who is understood to have a difficult relationship with the leader, said he believed Mr Corbyn would lead Labour at the next general election which is scheduled for 2020.

Asked if that was a “good thing or a bad thing”, Mr Watson said: “It doesn't matter, that is the situation.

“I made my position clear, gave private counsel, based on the fact it was difficult to lead without the confidence of a majority of MPs, but he took a different view, the membership backed him and we have to respect that.”